The Media Representation of Korean Sexual Minority and Gender Oppression in 1960-70s

During the 1950s-1970s in Korea, transgenderism was not fully considered as sexual identity, so it was not often distinguished from homosexual or transvestite. Examining press releases of the time, we can see FTM (Female to Male) transgenders, or female transvestites, had various career such as robber, swindler, even legislator, while majority of MTF (Male to Female) transgenders, or male transvestites, were prostitutes. This shows social reality related to gender difference of the time.

At that time, 'love affair(情事)' was frequently discussed in related to sexuality, but it occasionally considered dangerous since it could let the lovers commit '(double) love suicide(情死)'. Among them, homosexual behavior was treated as situations of isolated environment or exotic custom of lower class. And it was encouraged that parents should be faithful to their gender dichotomy and heterosexism to prevent their children from all of the sexual "deviation" such as homosexual behavior, transgenderism, etc., and this whole assertion was treated as a part
of 'mental hygiene(精神衛生)'.

With this situation, there were a few cases of MTF transgenders depicted as schizophrenic in neuropsychiatric journals. And one of authors of such journal, Hahn Dongse MD psychiatrist, explained why there were only few cases of sexual 'deviant' such as homosexual behavior or transgenderism in Korea, comparing to those of Euramerica as shown in the Kinsey Report. According to his assertion, it is because there was a "shame culture" on matters about sexuality in Korea compared to "guilty culture" in Euramerica, and Korean has lower vigor than Euramerican having plethora of energy. This shows the viewpoint of sight-inverted eugenics and racism on biologically and culturally explaining sexual "deviant" in Korea.